


Deeper Than the Unknown

by VinisGone



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Horror, Psychological Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-02-12 07:36:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12954450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VinisGone/pseuds/VinisGone
Summary: "Hey, Wirt-" You began your sentence, obviously shaken to hear the result. "Do you think we'll ever escape from these woods?"Wirt was timid as he didn't even bother to look at you as he spoke. "No. I don't believe we will."Travel through the Over the Garden Wall story with companions Wirt and Greg close by your side as you encounter horrifying and scarring events. Beware the Beast, young one.Not only that, but you must beware the sparks that fly throughout your adventure.





	1. The Old Grist Mill

**Author's Note:**

> Though this is not my first story I've ever written, it is my first story on Archive. I apologize in advance for any errors, for this website is more difficult than it looks. For now, enjoy the simple beginning of a wonderful tale.

"Penguin!"

"Are you kidding? Why in the world would you name your frog Penguin?"

A joyous laughter came from Gregory as he stuffed his newly found pet frog safely into his satchel. "Maybe a new name will come to me, so I won't have to think anymore!" He chimed, obviously confident in the fact that that will become true. I shared a laugh back, and ruffled his hair. The sounds of our giggles and the dry autumn leaves crunching under our shoes were enough to muffle out the sounds of a muttering teenager behind us. As the two of our joy calmed, Greg tugged on my shirt and used his thumb to point back, motioning towards his older brother, Wirt. Greg shook his head in a disappointed way. It was apparent how Wirt was less enthusiastic about being lost in the woods than Greg and I were. In fact, he was far from it. The boy barely spoke ever since we had confirmed us losing our way, and now all he did was walk about ten feet behind us and sulk. I wasn't much of an optimist myself, but I had to keep Greg happy, for seeing his smile was enough to brighten the sun on a cloudy day. Greg tugged on my shirt again, and I decided that he was signaling me to do something about the depressive aura coming from behind.

"Wirt?" I asked. He did not answer. I swiveled on my heels and began to walk backward. My voice was projected more this way, and I spoke louder. "Wirt!" This time, the boy perked his head up. His cheeks and nose were a tad rosy from the crisp fall air. His hair went every which way, likely due to stress. Wirt tended to be stressed quite a lot. Greg flashed a smile as his brother walked up to pace with us. "Wirt! What do you think we should name my frog?" He said. "I'm thinking something fancy now!" Despite the little boy's attempt to connect with the other, Wirt did not answer directly. "What does it matter." He began, whipping his head up to look at the passing tree branches. "That frog will probably freeze to death before we do. It's best to not make connections- also it probably has germs, probably." Wirt tended to speak in a funny way. He was either being truly formal and reciting poems that he had most likely written, or he was being an informal teenager like every else back at home was.

Home.

My thoughts froze on the word. "Wirt." I said, motioning to Greg as to subtly ask him not to say such despicable things in front of his younger sibling. Wirt eyed me, then Greg, and then back to me. "Hey.." I began, finding the right words to comfort him. "We'll find a town soon, and ask for directions. Doesn't that sound spirit-lifting?" Wirt looked to the ground now, watching the roots that swiveled through the ground as we walked. "If we do get that lucky, I'd hope it would be soon. The sun is going down- we only have a few hours left of daylight..." He muttered. I reached a hand out to squeeze his arm. "Don't worry." I said those words, yet I was certain they weren't true. I was scared myself that we'd have to sleep in the unforgiving nature, where horrifying creatures slip out at night to feast on prey. Prey, that would be us. Once again, I had to remind myself that I was keeping an unusual level of hope to save the boys from suffering any sort of discomfort. Then again, maybe I was doing it for myself, so I wouldn't lose my sense of hope.

The walk until the break of dusk was mostly silent. The few times we did speak was when we were discussing the perplexing story of how we even got lost in the first place. We did recall being at a Halloween party, yet anything else was fuzzy. It seemed like we fell asleep, and woke up in a completely different world. Wirt didn't seem to care about how we got here. He just wanted to know how to leave. I noticed Greg was stumbling. "Greg, you alright?" I asked. I heard a sleepy "mhm" in return and smiled. "Sounds like someone needs to be carried." I commented. Greg refused, yet I scooped him up against his will and placed him on my back. I held his legs as he draped his arms over my shoulder, and yawned. Minutes passed, and the boy was asleep. Now, I could really talk to Wirt.

"Wirt. We really need to talk about how to get out of here. We've been walking for hours and there's no sign of life besides the trees- a-and it's already dark!" I had no idea, but by the time I picked Greg up to when he fell asleep, the sun had vanished, leaving us vulnerable to the night. Wirt didn't answer me. "Wirt. Wirt can you even hear m-"  
"Shh."  
I widened my eyes. "Did you just shush m-" This time, Wirt repeated himself and placed a hand over my mouth. "I hear something." When those words slipped past his lips, I was in frozen fear. Images of the worsts kinds of beasts ripping us limb from limb had me in shock. But then, I heard it too. It was deep singing. "We have to check it out." Wirt decided for us and took my wrist in his grip. He pulled both Greg and I to an area behind a thick tree. A light flicked past us, and I set Greg down by the base of the trunk. "What is it?" I asked as I watched the older boy lean past the tree and stare towards the light's source. I watched his body reactions. He was on edge. His pupils were dilated, and his hands were shaking as they gripped the tree. "Wirt what's going on?" My words sounded almost demanding. Wirt spoke softly. "Come here." I obeyed and crawled up behind him, staring at what he was. My body froze too.

It was a man. He looked to be middle-aged, maybe even elderly. He was collecting wood from a fallen tree I had inferred that he chopped down. Sure enough, once he strung the sticks on his back, he fiddled with an ax that was wedged into the lifeless stump and pulled it free. Wirt placed a hand on my shoulder. It felt like he was preparing to push me back if the man took notice of us. We were quiet as we studied The Woodsman. Suddenly, I heard leaves rustling beside me. "Mmm- Is it tomorrow yet?" A shrill voice all too loudly. Wirt and I both whipped our heads around to shush Greg. The boy stood up and yawned, gaining his energy rather quickly. "What are you all looking at? I want to see!" He begged as he climbed on us. "No Greg- Greg please be quiet!" I hissed at him. Wirt growled. "GREG!"

Out of nowhere, a fourth voice was heard. "Who goes there?" Almost as soon as those words hit our ears, the three of us were petrified. We were silent, but that did not work, for The Woodsman shined his lantern towards the tree, and Wirt's cone hat shadowed throughout the leaves. "Children?" Now when the man said that, Wirt grasped fistfuls of my shirt and stared me in the eyes. "He's going to eat us! O-Or give us to his dogs as toys! I can't die!" Judging by the sweat and pained whisper voice he was using, I could tell this boy was about to pass out. I had to save them. I gently removed myself from Wirt's hold and stood up, fully showing myself to The Woodsman. "We're sorry to have interrupted you- W-We're just three kids trying to get back home and we were maybe hoping to ask you for directions?" My voice continuously cut in out from being confident to that of if a mouse tried to speak. The Woodsman cleared his throat and coughed in a frail way. "You... You kids are far from any home." He told me. I gulped, and heard a squeal behind me that could have belonged to either one of the boys. "Come with me, you look lost and deprived." I blinked as he spoke. Deprived? I assumed he meant of sleep- but I wasn't even tired. I reached a hand out behind me. To that, Greg grabbed hold before Wirt, and I pulled him out from behind the tree. "Wirt, the kind man is going to take us to his home so we can rest... Get up...!" Wirt finally stood up meekly and came into the lantern's light. If it wasn't for all the panic, I could swear I heard the lantern making strange, upsetting noises.

As we walked behind The Woodsman, Wirt leaned in by my face. "Do you think he's some kind of crazy ax murderer?" He asked. I gulped. "I-I hope not- but let's try to not think that. Maybe he's just a nice guy who-" Before I could finish my sentence, the man spoke in a booming voice. "Do you kids know where you are?" He asked. Greg wasn't paying attention, and I assumed I did enough talking to strangers for the day. I nudged Wirt, and he yelped. "Oh! Uh- N-No. We don't. That's why we were going to ask you because we just kind of... ended up in these woods." To this, the Woodsman grunted and gripped his ax harder. "I'll explain once we get to the mill."

"The Mill?"

Sure enough, through the trees a humble mill shown throughout the night. Wirt gripped my shirt like a child needing comfort from his mother. I could feel him shaking. The four of us stepped inside. Almost immediately, The Woodsman darted towards a stone fireplace and began settling up a fire. "You children... Are more lost than you think." He uttered. Confused, I spoke up. "What do you mean by that, sir?" The Huntsman stood up and dusted himself off. "These woods are unlike others. They contain horrid things... Horrid things like The Beast." My heart began to pound. I was sure Wirt was already passed out on the floor, but he stayed standing tall.. behind me. "An unforgiving monster haunts these woods- stalking its victims like you kids yourselves." As The Woodsman continued talking to me, Greg persistently poked my thigh with a piece of candy he had pulled from his trousers. "Not now Greg-" I muttered. I heard a frog's belly croak from across the room. Greg interrupted The Woodsman as he giggled and ran after his pet, out the door. "I will be back- I have work to attend to in the mill. Mm- Make yourselves at home-" Then, it was Wirt's turn to interrupt. "Can we leave?" He asked. The flare in The Woodsman's eyes frightened the both of us. "Leave if you must- But beware... The Beast." At these words, he turned and exited through a door that barely hung on to the wall.

When the door shut, Wirt threw himself onto a nearby couch. "There's no way we'll get out of here- did you hear him? We basically trapped here forever!"  
"He said we could leave if we wanted to-"  
"No! I mean we're never going to get home."  
I was stunned by his words. Wirt almost never raised his voice at me in a serious manner. I let out a sigh, and sat at the foot of the couch, on the armrest. Wirt put his head back. He began to recite poetry he had just then conjured up in his head. That was a way of calming him down, and I couldn't possibly comment on it without him becoming angered again. The two of us sat in silence for a few heartbeats after Wirt had finished talking. The tension in the room was almost too much to live under. I broke the quiet.

"Wirt." I muttered, placing a hand on his shin. "Look... I know things are bleak. So what if we have to spend a night in a worn-down mill? We'll be out tomorrow with directions and daylight. I just- need you to be there for Greg. I'd hate to see him get worried." Wirt did not respond to this. "Wirt please for the love of god answer. I hate it when I talk to you and you don't even-" Before I could finish, Wirt sat up. He stared at me in the eyes, his solemn brown irises glowing in the light coming from the dim-lit fire. I widened my eyes and felt my heart race. How close was he to me again? Only a few feet, but it felt like inches. "Greg." He spoke, his voice fading before he could finish the word. "Greg- Where is Greg?!"

I blinked, realizing that the joyful spirit was not present in the room- or the house for that matter. My breathing began to speed up. I had no idea. "He wanders off sometimes! He's a kid! He'll come back to-"

The door to the cabin swung open. Wirt and I craned our heads over to face it. Greg was standing in the doorway. He showed us his palm, which had a mild gash in it. "I got an ouchie." Wirt blinked and was at a complete loss for words. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "Greg- What happened?" I asked. Greg sniffled and pointed behind him. Simultaneously, a throaty growl rumbled behind him. Wirt "eeped" and grabbed onto my shirt, pulling me closer to him. I narrowed my eyes at the door, and ushered Greg to come to us. "Maybe it's The Woodsman just trying to play a joke on us, right?" Wirt suggested, his voice suggesting that it was dire to be true. The second door next to the fireplace swung open as well, and The Woodsman stood proudly in the doorway, gripping his ax. All three of us screamed, and the man's voice boomed over ours. "What was that growling noise?! Who made that?" He demanded. Us three pointed to the door, and as we did, a horrid monstrous face came into sight. It could be compared to a dog. Its teeth were jagged and its mouth was salivating for flesh. Wirt was in shock. "It's The Beast. I-It's The Beast!" He stuttered. The Beast-like creature's fur ruffled on its back as it got into a position of attacking. It roared. Acting fast, I grabbed the two boys, Wirt by his collar and Greg by his hand, and ran behind The Woodsman, past him, and into the main mill area. The three of us were faced with winding pipes and tubes, levels of machinery, and countless bottles. Some were filled with ominous black liquid, others empty and clear as day. Greg noticed a ladder. "Hey! I like to climb these back at home! I usually fall off but it's still fun on the way up!"

That's it, the ladder! "Wirt, take Greg! I'll see what The Woodsman is doing-" Wirt took a deep breath and shook his head. "You take Greg." I widened my eyes. "Wirt-"  
"Please- There's no time to argue. I trust you with him more than I trust him with myself."  
I didn't want to waste time. I nodded and took Greg's hand. As Greg and I made a break for the ladder, I heard the teenager mutter under his breath "I guess I'm really doing this".

Wirt darted for the door, and that was the last Greg and I saw of him before we got up to the second floor of the mill. "Greg- How did you find that thing?" I asked. Greg smiled and put his hand in his trousers and pulled out a piece of colorfully wrapped candy. "Maybe he was hungry for candy!" He said. I brushed the thought off as being ridiculous and darted my eyes to the door. I heard yelling. My heartbeat quickened, but I couldn't let Greg know I was scared. "Greg, let me see your hand." The boy quickly gave me his palm, and I looked at the cut. I had no medical items with me, so I resorted to using the end of my shirt to wipe up the blood and dirt. "You goose..." I mumbled.

Without warning, a shrill screech came from the room Greg and I were not present in. "They must have gotten The Beast!" I exclaimed. I was far from correct. Wirt stumbled into the room with The Woodsman's ax. Seeing Wirt with the man's ax gave me a gut feeling The Woodsman wasn't winning the battle. I shuddered in panic as Wirt aimlessly swung the ax at the creature. Once I heard the ax slice through flesh, I turned Greg away from the sight and covered his ears. I turned my head to look at the action. Wirt had left the ax in the creature's skull, and it began to scream with agony. With little time, the teenager climbed the ladder. "There has to be another way out of here!"

The poor kid was frazzled beyond belief. I scanned the room for escape routes and found the perfect way. A doorway to the ceiling. "Up there!" I cried out, scooping Greg up off the ground and running towards our life-saving escape. Wirt feverishly began hitting the door until the lock chipped, and finally pushed it open. He climbed up, I handed him Greg, and he reached his hand out for me to grab. My heart pounded. The squealing and horrid sounds below me became louder as I grabbed Wirt. He pulled me up with difficulty, and I popped out of the mill, landing on top of the teenager and rolling a few feet down the roof. We managed to stop ourselves from falling and getting into real trouble. I looked up at Wirt, who was laying on top of me. The moonlight gave me the same gorgeous view of his face just like the fireplace did. The two of us were panting and I watched a smile crawl to his lips. "We- We did it!" He chimed as he sat up. The teenager pulled me to my knees and threw his arms around me. I suddenly felt a lighthearted bubbly laughter build up in me, and I let it out. Greg chimed too and ran over to join the hugfest.

The joy did not last long, for the screeching animal busted through the roof. The three of us screamed in unison once more and were quickly ripped from our false sense of comfort. We were slowly being cornered at the end of the roof. "Oh God- We're actually going to die." Wirt said, his tone dry as a desert. I did not answer. I just gripped Greg close to my chest. Then, the boy in my arms wriggled free. "Greg, no! Wirt and I screamed at almost the same time. Greg boldly reached into his pants and threw a piece of candy at the beast's face. It bounced off and rolled down the cold, unforgiving roof before plopping down in the water below us. The world seemed silent at this time, as we waited for the animal's reaction. The creature looked at the direction where the candy had been thrown, and jumped after it. I was not sure of what happened next. All I was able to hear was the sound of an animal crying in agony until it went silent. I didn't have time to cover Greg's ears. He was at the mercy of the true world them.

The silence seemed to have lasted centuries. The three us sat on the roof in disbelief. "Greg..." Wirt said softly. "You... You lead that thing here with your candy in your pants-" The teenager sounded angry, but this was no time to start blaming. I looked at Wirt. "Wirt- We killed it. It's gone. We're saved- and so is the Woodsman!"

The Woodsman.

My eyes widened as I recalled Wirt entering the main mill area, but not The Woodsman. "Wirt, what happened to him?" I asked, curiously. Wirt swallowed dryly and looked at Greg, then me. Maybe now wasn't the best time to discuss that topic. Us three safely climbed down from the roof and looked ahead of us. The world was quiet. Peaceful. The only sound interrupting it was a nearby dog barking. "Do you think we'll get home now?" I asked Wirt. The teenager sighed deeply and reached out to grab my wrist. 

"Home, yes. Alive, no."  
I didn't want to accept that. We were quiet again and Greg wandered off to play with turtles in the water by of us. "You were brave, Wirt." I told him. I looked in his general direction. Wirt looked back at me. He wasn't smiling, yet he wasn't pulling a frown. 

"Thanks. You were too."


	2. Hard Times at the Huskin' Bee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strap in for a journey throughout one of the most haunted tales of this adventure...

I couldn't quite remember when the sun rose. All I recalled was my eyes fluttering open to the sound of birds chirping. Wirt was laying next to me, his cheek pressed against my shoulder. His hat was in his weak grasp in his lap. Greg was to the left of me and had his head in my lap. A small smile graced his cheeks as he slumbered. I couldn't help but show a genuine smile to no one. I was about to close my eyes again and take in the relaxation when I realized we had to get moving again soon. A town with directions won't come to us, we had to find it ourselves. I yawned and stretched my arms above my head, as I did so, Wirt's head slipped off my shoulder and landed on my lap next to Greg's. I looked at the two of them. Though they weren't related by blood, I could see a similarity between the two. I thought it was cute. Upon closer look, I saw Wirt's eyebrows furrow, and his mouth opened in discontent. I couldn't look away. Something about sleeping boys, especially the nervous kind, was nothing but adorable. It brought peace to me, even. With a nervous hand, I put my arm on his chest and combed my fingers through his hair. It was soft, but I could tell by the roots he needed a good washing. I think we all did from the events of last night. As I subconsciously stroked his hair, I heard him grumble ever so quietly and lifted a hand to hold my wrist loosely. I would've cupped a hand over my mouth, but I was too in awe. Wirt and I had been great friends since middle school. We grew up with each other and stuck by through thick and thin. It may have just been the heroic way he saved Greg and I last night, but I couldn't help myself looking at him constantly. Even when we walked together last night, I constantly darted my eyes over to him more than I did Greg, and that's strange.

My mind cleared as I watched the teenager's eyes open just as gently as mine did. He squinted at first, then looked around. 'It- wasn't a dream?" He asked, his voice strained from the yelling he endured last night. I noticed Wirt was looking at something in perplexion. "Sadly, no." I answered. It was at this moment I realized just what Wirt was staring at. My hand was still combing his hair, and my arm was still pressed against his chest. We made eye contact, and I pulled my hand away. Quietly, I cleared my throat and placed my other hand on Greg's shoulder to softly wake him. Completely ignoring the awkward situation, Wirt sat up, ruffled his hair, and placed his hat back on his head. "Right." He muttered, obviously disgruntled to the fact that last night was all too of a real nightmare.

Greg yawned and smacked his lips as he awoke. "Is it breakfast time yet? I want waffles." He said. I sucked air in through my teeth and decided to be straightforward, instead of giving him a white lie. "We may not be able to eat for a while, Greg. We're trying our best to find a town."

The little boy smiled and pushed himself to his feet. "That's okay! When we find the town we can go eat!"

My heart sunk a little bit. Wirt's pessimistic side burned through me. If we make it to a town.

Wirt stood up as well, and I shortly followed. "Welp. We won't get anything done standing around here. Come on." He said. Strangely, Wirt seemed determined. Unlike before, he was leading us this time. Greg and I walked behind, holding each other's hands. I heard his stomach growl, and Greg moaned afterward. "I don't think I can make it that much longer... You're gonna have to carry me." He said. I could tell he was faking it, but I happily obliged just in order to see that signature smile. As soon as I crouched down for him to hop on, he froze. "Did you hear that?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Wirt, stop walking-" I said quickly. The footsteps ahead of us halted, and the teenager turned his head around to find out why I requested the stop. "Greg said he heard something." I told him. Wirt pressed his lips together and shook his head. "No Greg, you didn't. It- It was probably just your stomach again." I was about to agree with Wirt until a small voice cried for help. My eyes widened and that familiar sense of dread filled my veins.

"I heard it." I said bluntly. I looked at Wirt, who seemed to have too. He walked over to us and gave me his hand. Confused, I took it, and he pulled me to my feet. He then commanded Greg to stay close to us. Was he protecting us? My memories recalled to last night as Wirt fought. Perhaps some defensive switch turned on in his brain, and he now felt the need to be the one to take the hits instead of I. My body moved a bit closer to his, and he did the same.

"Greg, get over here!" He hissed again, for his younger brother would not listen. Greg looked at us and shook his head before turning and walking with a skip in his step towards the voice. At almost the same time, Wirt and I called his name in a distressed manner. Without any other thoughts, Wirt grabbed my forearm and we chased after the mindless little boy.

We found Greg huddled in a bush, and we stood behind him. "Greg," Wirt began. "Get out of there. Those leaves could be poisonous- or something." Greg did not reply. Instead, he backed away from the bush, and out popped a gorgeous little bluebird. Wirt blinked, and I couldn't help but smile. "You helped a little bird? That's so sweet of you, Greg!"

"I'm not that little, lady."

My heart stopped. I turned my head to see Wirt slapping himself. Had he heard that too? "What in the world?" He gasped. The bird flapped its wings to get any remaining thorns out of its feather and cleared its throat. "I am Beatrice, and since this one saved me from perishing in the bush- I owe you a favor!"  
"A wish?" Greg asked.  
"No, a favor."  
"Could you make us waffles?"

I heard the bird, Beatrice, scoff. "No, I am not magic." She restated herself. Wirt was staring at her in awe. "Birds don't talk- Their brains aren't smart enough to comprehend speech-"  
"Excuse me?" She huffed.  
I sensed tension and put a hand over Wirt's mouth. "We didn't mean it, Miss Beatrice!" I apologized. The bird looked unamused at the fact of me calling her that. "Look- You three are lost kids with no will to live, right?"  
Greg nodded, and Wirt furrowed his eyebrows.

"How about I take you to Adelaide, The Good Woman of the Woods? She can help you get home! ...Bluebird's honor."  
"Is that a thing?" I asked her. I felt Wirt grip my wrist. Was I not supposed to ask that? "Yes, it's a thing!" She said, agitated.

The three of us looked at each other, and Wirt sighed. "Thanks, bird- Beatrice- But we are going to be on our way without any talking birds or whatever." He stated boldly.  
Beatrice looked dull, then she spoke up.

"You'll die out here without my help."

My eyes widened, and I asked her what she meant.

"These woods were not made for people like you. People who are ignorant and pretend bad things aren't real so they won't have to deal with their problems." She said, her voice now monotone. I heard Wirt groan quietly with discontent.

"Beatrice, thank you, but we should be-" I started, but a small voice from afar interrupted me. It was Greg. How did he even get away without us knowing? "A town!" Greg said, pointing to a sign that was lazily nailed to a tree. Wirt left my side and booked it to the tree Greg was by. I followed. "Pottsfield. A town! We can ask for directions! Good job, Greg!"

It warmed my heart to see the two having a positive connection, but my joy was broken severely when the bird sat on my shoulder. She whispered in my ear "Ditch these boys, us girls have to stick together, right? Come with me and I'll get you home safely!" My body shivered, and I began walking next to Wirt and Greg. "No. They're my friends." I whispered back. Beatrice scoffed. "A hormonally disfigured teenager who can't stop talking to himself? An ignorant little child who will never grow up? Some friends." She stated. Angered, I pushed her off my shoulder. As she fell off, she caught herself by flapping her wings and managed to scratch my shoulder with her little talons. Though it didn't break skin too badly, it ripped part of my shirt, and I hissed at her. "What the hell? get out of here!" I growled, now getting angered. Beatrice shrugged in mid-air and continued to flap her wings.

Wirt turned around to look at us, and when he realized Beatrice was still with us, he motioned for me to walk up next to him. I heard an angered growl behind me. "Pretend like I don't exist? Fine. I'll come back and get you when you're bleeding and on your knees begging for my help." She said. And with that, she was off. I sighed of relief. "Do you think stuff like that will keep happening?" I asked Wirt. Without verbally answered or looking at me, he nodded.

I looked ahead of us and saw Greg was playing in a patch of pumpkins.

Boy, this kid can run fast.

Once we caught up with him, Wirt was quick to see an array of houses at the bottom of a small hill. "T-The town," He stammered. "We actually made it!" The teenager eagerly grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes with nothing but blissful joy. "Are you going to cry?" I asked him. Wirt laughed and began to pull me. "Of happiness, maybe!"

Greg waddled after us as we hurriedly ran into the town. Our joy began to fade with every minute that we couldn't find any signs of life. Wirt peered over at a rather large building located near the center of the town. A sign out front read "Town Hall." Wirt grinned and made his way over to open the door. "Hello? Is anyone-" The boy peered in to see a human-sized turkey sitting at the desk with its grotesque head laying on top of it. I looked over Wirt's shoulder and gripped his cape for comfort. Wirt's smile vanished as he apologized to the turkey, and slammed the door.

Wirt cleared his throat and looked at me. At the same time, he shrugged. I didn't show any expression back, for what expression was there to show? Something tugged at my shirt, and I turned to see Greg pulling at the fabric and pointing to a barn. Beautiful festival music swayed out the doors and into our ears. Wirt almost seemed hesitant to continue on after encountering what he saw in the town hall, but Greg was very convincing to get his older brother to come with us. The barn door creaked open and we peered inside. An unsettling sight, of course, hit our eyes.

Countless men and women dressed in pumpkin costumes, dancing around a pole, all the while singing, playing music, and dancing their hearts out. I swallowed dryly, and Wirt held my hand again. Maybe it was a comfort thing for him to always be touching someone, specifically me. Friends are there to comfort each other, right?

"Wirt," I began, squeezing his hand back. He turned to look at me. His eyes were filled with fear. Though he had previously been trying his best to be brave, fear sinks into us all. I smiled towards him and rubbed my thumb over the back of his hand. "We'll ask for directions, and be out of here by the time you can say-"  
"Newcomers!"

Wirt yelped and threw his arms around me and squeezed tightly. My eyeballs could have popped out of their sockets. Our attention was directed to a man wearing a funny looking pumpkin costume. He greeted us and told us we were just in time for a harvest. "T-This is just some kind of crop harvesting celebration, right? So you're all wearing costumes?" Wirt stuttered. It had occurred to me that Wirt was exposed to more open ideas than I was, for when we entered the barn I immediately identified the pumpkins as costumes. The man chuckled and his frozen pumpkin smile gave us a creepy feeling in our spines. "Of course. Pumpkins can't move on their own, can they?"

"I suppose they can't" I whispered. Once the man walked away, I noticed Wirt had not let go of me. "Wirt-" I said, placing my hands on his chest. The teenager looked at me, realizing he was still attached to me, and quickly let go, pulling his arms behind his cape. He cleared his throat quietly and walked off. Just like that.

"Greg." I said, looking down at the smaller boy. He looked up at me. I was going to tell him to stay put and not talk to anyone, but his eyes were too precious to say that too. "Why don't you make some friends?" I asked. He smiled warmly and set off, laughing. I sighed as I watched him be as happy as a kid could be. Now, time to get down to business. None of the costumes could identify the people underneath them, so I was very hesitant to talk to anyone. Across the room, I glanced at Wirt speaking to a pumpkin with lipstick and eyelashes drawn onto it. The woman, I'm assuming, was wearing a dress and skirt made of cloth and hay. I chuckled to myself at the ridiculous outfit. Then my laughter subsided.

It seemed as some commotion had started. My eyes snapped wide open as I noticed it was Wirt who caused it. I couldn't get over to him to scold him for whatever he had done, for the pole was in my way. I took a step forward to get around it, and it moved. I froze. For sure, the pole did move. It swayed back and forth before bending. At this point, I was scurrying backward. A booming voice above me made my skin glaze over white. 

At first, it was a chuckle, then it changed into low, menacing words. Despite my fear, I craned my head up to look at the culprit. A large pumpkin head sat on top of what looked like strands of reeds. My heart pounded as it turned to look at me, its mouth curved into a blood-curdling smile. I began to beath heavy, but softly. "Are these two associated with you, young boy?" The pumpkin spoke towards Wirt, using a tone that meant whatever you choose to answer with could end your life. "Uh- Umm" Wirt began to panic as well. It had been less than twenty-four hours since our last near-death experience, and now we were facing another. Wirt tried to run over to me, but one of the reeds attached to the pumpkin wrapped around his waist, and ripped him up into the air. The horrified teenage boy balled his hands into fists and pounded on the attachment to him. My face broke out into a cold sweat. "We don't like passer-byers very well, young man." The pumpkin said. I could tell his grasp on Wirt was getting tighter, for Wirt was gasping for air, and wasn't fighting back as hard as he previously was. The pumpkin looked down to its subjects and held Wirt above them like a prize. "Only fools know to interrupt a celebration. Not only that, but destroy crops and interrupt the slumber of great leaders."

I was lost. Nothing he was saying was making a lick of sense. I got to my feet and clenched my fists. "Hey!"  
My voice echoed throughout the dimly lit barn. With slow, steady movements, the pumpkin turned its head around to face me. It was silent.

"We were hoping to get directions from you- any of you. We had no intention of ruining your festival or whatever you said- Please let him go!" I continued to beg. "I swear we don't even need directions anymore! Just let us go and we'll be out of your hair forever!"

Ominous quiet filled the barn to the brim. The pumpkin craned his head down at me at the same time I frantically looked at Wirt, who was now wrapped around the neck as well, gasping for air. Panic.  
"I would love to do that darling, I really would. But lessons need to be learned that once a mistake is made, it cannot disappear without sacrifice."

I gulped.

Around me, I heard low grumbles from the people in costumes. My eyebrows raised in fear as they began to gather in a circle around the large pumpkin. As the large pumpkin raised Wirt to the others like a treat, all hell broke loose. One by one, the people removed their pumpkin heads. There were no human heads underneath. Just rotting corpses. My jaw dropped open and I was set in a frozen state of fear. I had never been in so much shock before. It had to be a dream. What the hell? I don't understand. There's no way this is possible. I can't fathom this in any of my nightmares-

Wirt screamed, his voice cracking from lack of oxygen. The pumpkin "people" were now undressed. They were horrifying, misshapen corpses. Flesh would rot and fall off by the minute. I heard a voice from beside me. Greg. I had completely forgotten about him. The poor thing must be petrified. I whipped my head to the left. There the child was.

Smiling.

I blinked in disbelief, as he picked up a knife that was used to carve previous pumpkins. He walked over to me and placed it on my lap. "Wirt says I'm not allowed to touch things in the kitchen that look fun." He told me. "But you're like Wirt, so you can."  
With those words, I snapped out of my state of panic. I was like Wirt, and Wirt was brave. Sometimes. I shakily stood up to my feet, regained my balance, and stepped in front of Greg. One girl with a knife against countless creatures. I gulped. Greg tugged on my shirt behind me. I turned around, and he smiled.

A smile worth fighting for.

I furrowed my eyebrows. Time then slowed down. From the moment that Wirt was dropped from the air and landed in a pit of certain demise, to the time I rushed in blindly and began swinging the knife with no aim, everything was in slow motion. I watched my knife slice through the rotting skin and muscle on each monster. It was oddly relaxing. I made my way to the center in a brutal style and stood in front of Wirt. It was like I was in a movie. Surrounded by evil, the hero and the dame were right in the middle of it. Something tugged at my pant leg, and I whipped my head around to see Wirt on the ground, coughing and barely being able to regain himself. Something else touched my arm. It felt cold and leathery. It wasn't human. I used my frail weapon to stab the arm of whatever was holding me. Deafening screeches filled the barn to the point of where I heard nothing but a constant ringing.

Eventually, I'm not sure when, for I was too busy, Wirt got to his feet and began fighting back with nothing but fists. I heard laughter above us. Deep, chilling laughter. The pumpkin was enjoying this.

My humanity was gone by the time the last creature dropped to the floor. The laughter did not subside. Wirt and I didn't even have time to hold each other for comfort. The large pumpkin ripped itself from the barn floor and looked at us. Wirt grabbed my sleeve and ran. On the way out, Greg was smart enough to follow us. The pumpkin began laughing like an insane person, and quickly crawling towards us, its mouth gaping open. The three of us began to scream as we made it to the door. Wirt got on one side, and I got on the other. We panted and slammed the doors, then wedged a branch in the doors to keep them shut. We panted as we stared.

A loud bang echoed throughout the barn. "Go, run, now, hurry!" Wirt couldn't even form a sentence. He ran off, and I scooped up Greg to chase after him. The laughter did not become quiet until we were at least half a mile away.

The two us of kept running until our cores burned and cramped up. Wirt fell to his knees, and I let Greg down, who giggled and went to go sit down and play in the roots of a large tree. Wirt gulped and covered his face with his hands. I watched him, and couldn't do anything to help him. I was scarred too. We kept attempting to catch our breath. When we did, we finally made eye contact. Moments later, I threw my arms around him. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist in the tightest, most comforting embrace I had been in for a while. His shaky breaths beat against my neck, and his body warmth was making my cold, dead-self melt. We stayed in this position for less than I wanted to. I wished we could have just stayed hugging each other until we perished.

Unfortunately, the sun began to set again, and it was time for another sleepless night.

The three of us settled up against a tree, and I let out a much-needed sigh. Wirt was in the middle of us and had his cape wrapped around both me and Greg. Greg was asleep by the drop of a leaf, but us two took some time to get any shut-eye. Wirt's hand laid on his lap. It looked cold... alone. I contemplated whether or not to hold it. I didn't.

I couldn't tell if Wirt was awake or not anymore. I guess it didn't matter. For now, I had to focus on getting rest myself. I laid my head on Wirt's shoulder and closed my eyes. Right before I was about to fade away into dreamland, I heard a voice in my ear.

"You're bleeding. Do you want my help now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember seeing this episode when I was younger. Scared the hell out of me.


	4. Schooltown Follies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang walk into an unknown area, stumbling upon a peculiar schoolhouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re back in business baby.

School Town Follies

“Adelaide, the good woman of the woods. If I bring you and these two clowns to her, then she can get you three all home safely.”

Beatrice practically sang the words as she perched on my shoulder. “You know when people are torn between making a decision, and they have the devil on one shoulder telling them to do the wrong thing, and the angel on the other telling them to do the right? Yeah, you’re the devil.” I spat.

Beatrice scoffed and looked ahead at the two boys who were mindlessly walking. “That last town really did some help finding you a path home, didn’t it?” She sneered sarcastically.

“Can you leave us alone?” I snapped under my breath. Wirt’s head picked up, and he looked back at us. “Beatrice, really we don’t need any help.”

Her beady little bluebird eyes turned sour. “Fine. At the end of your little adventure today, wether your dead or close to it, I’ll be back. This time, you’ll be begging for me to take you to Adelaide. Sound good?” She asked.

The bird pecked my cheek, causing me to flinch and reflexively smack her away.

And just as she came, she was gone.

Wirt slowed down for me to catch up, and we walked side by side. The teenager was quiet for a few footsteps, then audibly cleared his throat. “Who was the Adelaide she was talking about?”

I looked down at the dirt as we walked, kicking pebbles back and forth. “Some ‘good woman’ of the woods.” I said, using physical air quotes. “Beatrice said she’d help us home, but I hardly believe it.”

Wirt smiled and nudged my shoulder with his elbow. “Smart thinking.”

For whatever cause, my ears burned from the compliment he gave me.

We made eye contact for some uncomfortable amount of time before being interrupted by Greg. “Eww!” The boy gasped.

Wirt and I quickly looked to see what the fuss was about. “A school!”

Sure enough, a humble schoolhouse sat in a clearing of the woods. The wood looked worn, yet sturdy, and brought a subtle relaxation to the atmosphere.

“This means civilization right?” Wirt asked me. I craned my head. If it was anything like Pottsfield, no.

“We’d better stay on our toes incase this is like the last town.” I whispered behind my hand to him, still concerned about Greg’s safety. Wirt nodded, his gaze glued to his half-brother.

“I’m not going to school today, no sir.” Greg triumphantly spoke, hands on either side of his small hips. “Wirt, you watch Greg out here and I’ll go inside to see if anyone’s around-“

The loud sound of a school bell ringing stopped my sentence cleanly.

Following the prominent ring, a woman in late 1800s attire. Her chestnut hair was done into a messy bun atop her head, and her bow lips peeled into a smile upon seeing us.

She fixed the bow around her neck and called out to us.

“Children! It’s time for class, do come inside!”

Wirt and I exchanged glances. I nodded at him and ushered him to take Greg away so I could scope the place out.

“If I take longer than five minutes to come out, come find me.” I told Wirt. He obviously wasn’t thrilled about the chance of me falling into danger again, but he wasn’t much of an arguer.

“I’ll see you soon.” I said, placing a hand on Wirt’s shoulder reassuringly, then reaching down to ruffle the hair on Greg’s head that wasn’t covered by the teapot.

I waved them goodbye and began to walk inside.

As I passed by the open doorframe, a small classroom stood before me, books and desks galore. My eyes scanned over for any abnormal sightings, and by god did I see some.

Animals- Pigs, cats, deer, dogs, too many to count. All these beings wore clothes like humans and were bipedal when they walked. My heart skipped a beat when the teacher urged me to take a seat.

I wondered how Wirt and Greg were getting along.

“For any newcomers, my name is Ms. Langtree, and today, we will be learning about caring for each other. More importantly, a significant other.”

My head perked up. The first thing to come into my head hearing that phrase was Wirt. I raised my hand.

“Yes?” She asked, her angelic voice matching her cute style. “I was wondering why we’d be learning about such a topic. Why not math or science?”

Ms. Langtree blinked, her eyes going wild for a second because becoming covered by her eyelids. “Oh my, why, what else is there to learn? Numbers won’t help you care for a woman!”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Now then, today’s goal to how to cheer a lady up when she is feeling blue.”

Her words became muffled as my mind wandered elsewhere. Why was this woman so set on teaching animals dressed as people how to care for a lady. Perhaps she was afraid of getting old and too frail to care for herself, that this was her last attempt to find a caretaker.

I closed my eyes to fester on the thought.

Crash.

My eyelids peeled open and laid upon Ms. Langtree at the front of the classroom with a broken bottle in her tight grip. “And when he comes near you ever again, you make sure he doesn’t leave without getting marked!” She claimed, using a swift motion to thrust the bottle forward as if stabbing someone.

My legs went numb from fright. Have five minutes passed yet? I looked out the window to the fall sky for an answer.

Ms. Langtree continued her rant, and each word made me more unsettled by the second.

Up at the front of the classroom, Ms. Langtree cleared her throat daintily and fixed her bun, setting the glass bottle down. Her heels crunched on the small shards that had fallen to the floor as she paced back and forth.

Her arms were impatiently folded behind her back, her bottom lip chewed between her teeth like she was searching for something to say.

I decided five minutes have passed, but where had Wirt gone? He didn’t forget me, did he?

As Ms. Langtree faced the chalkboard, arms wildly drawing a T-chart on what to do and what not to do in the case of a woman being blue.

My gaze circled the room one last time before I found the courage to stand up from my seat and tip toe across the floor to get away.

To my horror, I was spotted.

“You there! Where do you think you are going? I dismiss you and session isn’t over yet!”

A lump formed in my throat, a dough ball I couldn’t swallow. My body slowly clock turned towards her, guilt flooding my veins.

“I was going for a bathroom break.”

She swiftly walked behind her desk and pulled out a drawer. I displayed a quizzical look across my face as I watched her actions. With no warning, a crack of a whip shattered the tranquil setting of the classroom.

Ms. Langtree has drawn a crop, ones used to whip horses while riding. My shoes were glued to the floor. Why couldn’t I run? All I could do was watch her iron grip tighten on the handle.

Like a dog, I sat back down without a word. She regained her polite self and smiled at me.

“Now then, if there will be no other interruptions then I will be most delighted to continue with the lesson.”

My mouth was shut for the rest of the demented class.

My mind wandered far out the window and away to space, mostly concerned to why Wirt hadn’t checked on me. What if Greg got into trouble and Wirt was saving him?

The class dragged on for ages, Ms. Langtree repeating herself over and over again, getting upset when she stumbled over her own words.

The bell rang for recess, and I’ve never been more relieved.

The animals walked out the door with me quickly following, and to my surprise I found Wirt sitting on a rotted stump with Greg next to him, playing with an old cat. Wirt had his cheek in his hand, but smiled and sat up straight upon seeing me rush towards him.

“What the heck, Wirt? I told you to come get me after five minutes.”  
“Oh!” He sounded shocked.  
“What time is it? It’s only felt like ten minutes.”  
“I’ve been in that classroom for at least an hour!”

Wirt shot his hands up in defense beside his head. “I’m sorry! I forgot, okay? And Greg also kept running off so- there’s that, too.”

I cooled off hearing his apology, and seeing Greg play with a kitten lightened my spirits as well. Wirt scooted over and patted the space on the stump next to him, and I happily plopped down.

“Between you and me, that teacher is nuts.”  
“Nuts? What do you mean?”

I scratched my cheek with my index finger and thought back to her antics. “For one thing she’s teaching animals, and she’s dead set on making them learn how to care for a woman.”

I made eye contact with Wirt, who looked flustered. “That is an odd lesson.”

“I know! I tried to get up and leave but she pulled out one of those things you use to whip horses with!”

Wirt suddenly grabbed both my wrists and began checking my hands. “Where did she hit you? You’re not too badly hurt, right?”

I gently pulled myself away from him. “She didn’t actually hit me. She just whipped it on her desk to scare me straight. I don’t think she would actually beat a student like that.”

Wirt’s chest caved in as he let out an exhaled sigh. “I’m really sorry I forgot about you.”

I smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder closest to me and rubbed it with my thumb. “Don’t worry about it. Next time, come in with me though. I doubt she’ll notice.”

Wirt looked down at Greg, still distracted, then to me and nodded.

The three of us spoke to each other outside for what felt like seconds, until we were casted away from our fun to go in for dinner.

Wirt stood up and took Greg by the hand, who we had to assure him that we weren’t going to class, and brought him to the cafeteria. I took the lead, knowing the classroom best.

Ms. Langtree passed plates out to all the animals, setting my plate down a bit harsh and almost cracking it.

Wirt noticed and narrowed his eyes at her passing figure. Then, the woman sulked to her piano and sat herself down to play a monotone, yet room-filling song.

The animals around us had their snouts dug miles deep into their plate of mashed potatoes. I poked it with my fork and set it down.

“Who’s the man in the picture by her piano?” Wirt asked from beside me. Recalling her lesson earlier that day, I informed him that the man was Jimmy, Ms. Langtree’s no good runaway man.

“She sang a song implying he’s only been gone for three days.” I muttered, impaling my otherwise untouched meal. I swirled my fork around, creating a hole. “She also mentioned something about a gorilla on the loose? I’m not sure, she may have just been crazy.”

“I saw a gorilla today!” I heard a cheery voice respond to me. Both Wirt and my eyes fell on Greg, whose fork was stuffed in his mouth. He pulled it out with a pop and smiled.

“When did you see a gorilla?” Wirt asked. Greg stood up on the bench to utilize as much space as possible to tell his story. He was a visual speaker after all.

“When Wirt was too busy mumbling about you under his breath-“  
Wirt’s eyelids snapped open and so did his mouth to disagree.  
“-I went off to find some more old cats. But instead I found an actual gorilla! It chased me and everything but I hid behind a bush and escaped!”

Wirt chuckled halfway. “Right. And while I was alone I found a giraffe.”  
“Really? That’s amazing!”

My lips pulled into a frown. Who to trust? A crazy woman or a child?

“Quiet down over there!” We heard from the piano’s player.

Agitated, I stabbed my fork into my food and grumbled at the teacher. “This is one of those schools where you stay for the night, right?” He asked.

I nodded.

“We can get a free night’s sleep here in a real bed!”  
“I’m not sure how much I trust this place.”

Wirt looked down at Greg, who had taken his seat long ago and seemed to have his fill on dinner. “Come on, the suns going down. We don’t have much choice.”

Unwillingly, I promised them a night at the eerie schoolhouse, and Greg was the most gleeful to hear the news. The kid deserved to relax on a mattress rather than roots on the ground.

Dinner ended with the sun going down, and each animal was dressed in their robes and caps for bed. Wirt and I kept our clothes on, but Greg decided for himself to follow everyone else’s choice.

The three of us laid down in a bed, Greg between Wirt and I. Ms. Langtree walked in to inspect everyone’s nighttime send-offs, and informed us harshly that the beds were strictly two-person.

Before I could tell the others I would move, Greg sprung from the sheets to cuddle with a young dog in the next bed over.

Leaving Wirt and I alone.

At first I didn’t catch on the awkwardness of sharing a bed with him, but as the night crept on my nerves began to race.

His voice brought me back.

“Thanks for getting us through today.” He said, laying on his back and staring straight up at the ceiling. “It was nothing, really. I just went to school like any other day, right?”

Wirt chuckled under his breath. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss school.”

I craned my head to look at him, and his eyes looked wistful.

“Are you homesick?” I asked.  
“Aren’t you?”

Hearing that made me want to get under the covers and hug him as tightly as I could to myself, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I laid down a comfortable distance apart.

“And-“

“No talking children, it’s time to sleep!”

The door to the bedroom creaked open just for Ms. Langtree to pop in and give the message. After it shut, Wirt turned to look at me.

His face looked peachy in the pale moonlight, and the teenager cleared his throat. “You’re gonna have to get closer so she won’t hear us talk.”

I could have made an audible sound.

“What?” I asked, making sure I was hearing this correctly. Wirt looked at the door, then pointed at me with his index finger and created a motion that told me “come here”.

Flustered, I inched myself closer to him. Pretty soon, we were less than half an arms length away. My heart couldn’t stop pounding.

“I was gonna say and I miss being home and writing poetry, and all that.”

I wanted to call him a loser or even a dork, but with the way he was talking right now, comfort would be the best option.

I searched under the cover for his hand and grasped it softly. “Even if you feel like you miss that, Greg and I are here, don’t forget that.”

Wirt’s eyes twinkled for a moment.

It may have been my imagination, but Wirt leaned in a bit before shuffling closer. “That really means a lot.” He said, voice cracking from trying to speak quietly. I involuntarily giggled under my breath, sending a smile to his lips.

We stared at each other, waiting for a next move. “Hey.” He said plainly.  
My smile faded a bit to hear what he has to say, it sounded serious. “You-“

A loud creak, then a snapping sound startled the both of us. It sounded like a plank being bent until it gave in, snapping in half.

Wirt grabbed hold of me, eyes frantically scanning the room. We heard another smash, and a dog started howling. Greg joined in.

Wirt shot up from the bed, panicked. I sat up as well just to hold him and try my best to convince him that we were okay for now.

There is was again, but following was a ravenous scream of agony. All the animals were up and out of their bed, spewing their sounds in a crazed tone.

Wirt covered his ears when the deer whipped its head back and howled. “We have to see what’s going on.” I quickly said to him, grabbing his forearm. Wirt must have thought I was crazy.

“What if it’s Pottsfield all over again?” He asked, raising his voice over the animals. I looked over at Greg, who was frowning, desperately trying to calm his puppy friend down.

Wirt followed my gaze to see his younger brother in misery. The unsure teenager gave me an expression that says “I really don’t want to do this”.

Without another exchange of worried words, I zipped out of bed and ran on air towards the door. I was hoping Wirt was right behind me, but not surprisingly he was straggling.

I looked around the cafeteria, nothing peculiar apart from a rather large hole by the chalkboard.

Before investigating the ongoing roaring and smashing and screaming, I searched the room for any type of protection. A small closet by the entrance to the classroom caught my eye, and I opened the creaky wooden door.

I was afraid the door may fall right off its hinges. But inside shocked me. Several musical instrument, a clarinet, drum, trombone, even a tuba. There had to be something else in here?

I imagined Ms. Langtree wasn’t fond of vermin, and being the woman she was I assumed she owned some type of lethal weapon to be rid of them.

Digging around the clothes I also found, I finally gave up. My head popped up, the mental lightbulb flashing. I’m in a cafeteria!

Spinning on my heel to go grab a knife or a fork, I was confronted by Wirt, running right into him and our faces crashing together.

Not really how I imagined it.

Wirt and I held our foreheads and exchanged apologizes. “Here, come with me.” I eventually said, taking his wrist and ending the sorry party.

I led him to the picnic tables and grabbed a knife by the handle. “Take these and go protect Greg.”  
“What about protecting you? I care about you too!”

A cool breeze swept past us, the draft coming from the gaping hole in the wall. I caught my breath in my throat when he said that. I forced myself to take it in the friendliest way possible to prevent feelings getting in the way of protecting.

“I’ll be fine. If I need help our code word will be...” I quickly glanced around the area to find some time of object. In front of me, ol’ worry Wirt frowned. I smiled warmly in response and tapped the cone on his head.

“Cone head.”

Wirt watched my hand go back to my side and then met eyes with me. “Alright. You remember to say it, though.” He told me.

I gave him one, fast reassuring nod and gripped my fork and knife in each hand and headed towards the hole in the wall. Wirt went back to Greg and the animals.

I stood at the exit to the outdoors and inhaled a reassuring breath before blindly jumping a few feet to the grass below. My nightmare coming true, a gorilla stood ridiculously tall above me, its mouth agape and letting out groans.

I staggered backwards, white knuckling the utensils. The gorilla wasn’t fixated on me, because its sight was set on Ms. Langtree in her nightgown, trembling in the cool night air.

The beast raised its arms to lumber over towards her, to which she screamed and backed away.

Though I wasn’t fond of Ms. Langtree, I didn’t want to see a human die before my eyes. I ran across the grass and skidded, standing my ground in front of the schoolteacher. “What are you doing out of bed?!” She snapped.

I whipped my head around and growled at her for even saying such a thing while I’m saving her lonely life.

The gorilla snorted and began to run at us. My blood was replaced with adrenaline as I ran back at it. The arm swung at me and I used the knife to slice back at it, cutting the fur.

It didn’t seem too fazed.

However, its big paw swung to knock me off my feet. I fell backwards, hitting my head on the dirt. Disgruntled and afraid, my only option was to shout the code word.

My brain scrambled through drawers and cabinets trying to find the answer. The gorilla put its hand out and pushed me to the side, rolling me violently and closer to the school house. Coming to a stop, my eyes snapped wide open.

“Hat- Cone hat CONE HEAD!”

The area was silent all but Ms. Langtree’s frightened cries as the gorilla continued to stagger towards her. I shouted again.

Footsteps above me signaled a person, and Wirt stood above me. Seeing me on the ground, he made a choking surprised noise and jumped down to pick me up and rest me on my knees.

“I’m okay, it just hit me.” I said, looking at my hands.  
My weapons.

“Wirt, I dropped my utensils. You gotta help me find them.”  
“No, you’re staying with Greg now.”

I felt immense guilt for getting myself into trouble and for now putting Wirt in it.

Wirt bravely ran out to the action and stammered around the grass to find the utensils. Luckily, he found the fork and picked it up.

Without even checking back on me, the boy ran towards the gorilla and stopped in fear.

I held my head, not sure what to do.

Wirt reeled the fork back and stabbed it into the back of the gorilla, then scampered away like a mouse from a cat.

The gorilla howled and began to try and reach for the fork. As the beast was turning, the oddest thing occurred.

Something glistened.

With no other thought, I left Greg in the schoolhouse and stood up. Wirt called out to me, but I ignored his pleads for me to get out of there.

I stood behind the gorilla and narrowed my eyes, quickly swiping my arm up to grab the shiny object and pull. The foreign thing was a zipper, and inside was a man. The costume was stuck on the fork, so I had the bright idea to rip it out, causing another scream.

A more human one.

I fell onto my back from fear and scurried way in all fours. Ms. Langtree said something inaudible and repeated herself, shocking me to the core.

The man inside the now confirmed gorilla suit was now free, Ms. Langtree helped his bleeding body out of the costume onto the grass.

“Jimmy...”

I ran to Wirt immediately, holding onto him tightly. He held me back and we both watched the scene.

I had just stabbed a man.

My eyes started watering from the unbearable guilt that now chained me to the ground.

“Jimmy, what were you doing?” We heard Ms. Langtree speak, her voice crackled and worrisome.

The man coughed and sat up, speaking rather well for the injury I inflicted. “I needed money... money to get you that wedding ring you always wanted. So I took up a job at the circus and couldn’t get out once I got in...”

If I wasn’t hysterical, I would have laughed at such a strange story. Ms. Langtree slowly craned her head up to look at us as she also helped her lover to his feet. “Leave. Never come back!” She hissed at the two of us.

Wirt’s tightened. “I’m sorry!” I suddenly spouted.

Ms. Langtree stormed inside with Jimmy, holding his arm. I looked at Wirt and followed them inside to get Greg out and also apologize.

I got the first deed done, but not the second, for Ms. Langtree threatened to beat me to death if I ever came back to her schoolhouse.

Horrified and petrified, Wirt had to pull me away from the schoolhouse in fear of getting what was coming to me.

I met with Greg out on the grass and we walked away briskly.

We settled down by a stagnant pond and sat in a grass bed. Greg had a surplus of energy and took his frog down to play in the water.

“I still haven’t got a name for him yet, but I’m thinking of Jimmy.” He told us before leaving.

I put my back up against a tree and slid to the floor, putting my head between my knees.

Wirt sat down next to me, our shoulders and arms pressing against each other. He didn’t say anything, but he undid the top button of his cap and draped half of it over my shoulder and the other half around his, creating a warm barrier away from the cold night air.

“It’s a beautiful night out tonight.” His voice cracked the first few words from speaking in a hushed whisper before returning to his usual speaking voice.

I didn’t respond, too frazzled by the schoolhouse incident.

“Look, you see that star over there that’s kind of red?”

I picked my head up, my nose resting on my kneecaps. “That’s Mars. I have some good poetry about the planets if you’d like to hear them.”

I looked down at my arm which suffered a minor scrape, a single drop of blood prodding its way out.

I wiped it away and nestled beside him, still staring up at the stars. The only thing disrupting the atmosphere was the chirping crickets and Greg’s laughter as his frog swam and splashed in the water.

My head fell onto Wirt’s shoulder.

“I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words: 4393

**Author's Note:**

> What a doozy you three have gotten yourselves into! Only time can tell what happens in the future- or the next episode if you've seen it. If you haven't noticed already, I am not 100% sticking by the story's tale. I like to go... my own route.


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